Ten Thousand Swedes ran through the Weeds

 I am Swedish on my Dad's side and Norwegian on my Mom's. You Swedish cousins will have to forgive me for this post! 

My Norwegian grandmother, who I was very close to, always said. "You are half Swedish for sure but if anyone asks you, just tell them you are Norwegian. Ten Thousand Swedes ran through the weeds chased by one Norwegian."

As a kid I always thought she was serious! Today I came upon this poem, that I never knew existed, and it gave me a laugh and better yet, memories of my loving Norwegian grandmother and my snus loving Swedish grandfather!

“The Battle of Copenhagen”

Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one Norwegian.
Ten thousand more ran to the shore
in the battle of Copenhagen.

Way, way back in history,
back when the world was new,
Norwegians searched all over,
to find some snus to chew.

They fished for Lutefisk and Torsk,
it helped to make them strong,
and you and me, we know a Norsk,
cannot do nothing wrong.

But Swedes and Danes were envious
of Viking trips and raids.
The Viking shields and helmet horns,
made all those folks afraid.

Throughout the world the Vikings sailed,
to Ireland and to France.
The even found America,
one afternoon by chance.

My grandpa says, and he should know,
the Swedes made up the minds.
To beat the Norsky Vikings,
and kick a few behinds.

But history, so grandpa says,
show that the Norskies won.
They clobbered all the Swedes and Danes,
and made it lots of fun.

Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one Norwegian.
The dust from the weeds,
made snus for the Swedes,
and they called it Copenhagen, 
E. C. Stangland

Actually, the two Battles of Copenhagen in recorded history involved the British, not the Swedes. This poem seems to be more like folklore than actual history. Such English language rhymes might have originated in the American midwest, as a way of differentiating Norwegians from Swedes, according to James P. Leary in Wisconsin Folklore.

I couldn't tell you what I had for lunch yesterday but for some reason I do remember that Grandpa Kallman only used Seal brand snuff. 

Oh how grandma Lydia hated that snus!

    Stolt till hälften norsk och hälften svensk,